Greetings from Portland, from one of the few sportswriters who didn't drink green beer last night in the hotel lobby (mine was amber). The Eastern players and coaches arrived last night; they'll practice this morning at a Portland college, then arrive at the Moda Center for a workout and their first meeting with the national media. The local media is already at work; John Blanchette spent five hours in the back seat of our car writing this fine piece on the Australians on the EWU roster. ... I spoke with members of the 2003-4 Eastern team that made the NCAAs, and here's what they had to say. .... I also have a notebook with comments from coach Hayford, Georgetown coach John Thompson III and some Eastern recruiting news. Elsewhere, NCAA.com asks what Georgetown must to do win, Bleacher Report offers this preview and prediction, and a Georgetown fans writes this very balanced and throrough analysis.

---

---